U.S. patent number 11,427,255 [Application Number 16/280,117] was granted by the patent office on 2022-08-30 for method and system for supporting a coupling operation of a transportation vehicle to a trailer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. The grantee listed for this patent is VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT. Invention is credited to Hermann Gebert, Chrystian Knoppek, Benedikt Michl, Frank Schwitters, Sascha Ziebart.
United States Patent |
11,427,255 |
Ziebart , et al. |
August 30, 2022 |
Method and system for supporting a coupling operation of a
transportation vehicle to a trailer
Abstract
A method for supporting a process of coupling a transportation
vehicle to a trailer wherein a position of a coupling element on
the trailer is detected by a trailer coupling assistant and the
transportation vehicle is at least partly autonomously maneuvered
into a target position in which a trailer coupling of the
transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified position for
coupling to the coupling element on the trailer, wherein a rearward
monitoring region of the transportation vehicle is monitored by a
parking aid during the maneuvering process. The parking aid is
operated in a standard mode in response to the trailer coupling
assistant being deactivated and the parking aid is operated in a
coupling mode in which obstacle warnings relating to the rearward
region are output by the parking aid differently from in the
standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant being
activated.
Inventors: |
Ziebart; Sascha (Braunschweig,
DE), Schwitters; Frank (Konigslutter, DE),
Knoppek; Chrystian (Berlin, DE), Gebert; Hermann
(Berlin, DE), Michl; Benedikt (Berlin,
DE) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
VOLKSWAGEN AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT |
Wolfsburg |
N/A |
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft
(N/A)
|
Family
ID: |
1000006528854 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/280,117 |
Filed: |
February 20, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20190256139 A1 |
Aug 22, 2019 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Feb 21, 2018 [DE] |
|
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10 2018 202 613.0 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D
15/0285 (20130101); B60D 1/36 (20130101); B62D
13/00 (20130101); B62D 15/025 (20130101); B60Q
9/006 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B62D
15/02 (20060101); B62D 13/00 (20060101); B60D
1/36 (20060101); B60Q 9/00 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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105939897 |
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Sep 2016 |
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102004008928 |
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DE |
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102004043761 |
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Mar 2006 |
|
DE |
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102005052238 |
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May 2007 |
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DE |
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102009030452 |
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Mar 2010 |
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DE |
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102009034106 |
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DE |
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102009045284 |
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Apr 2011 |
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DE |
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102010004920 |
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Jul 2011 |
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DE |
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102011011144 |
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Mar 2012 |
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DE |
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102012005707 |
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Oct 2012 |
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DE |
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102014110498 |
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Jan 2016 |
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DE |
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102014113293 |
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Mar 2016 |
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DE |
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2394855 |
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EP |
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2682329 |
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Jan 2014 |
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EP |
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2005080100 |
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Sep 2005 |
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WO |
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2016207171 |
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Dec 2016 |
|
WO |
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Other References
Search Report for German Patent Application No. 10 2018 202 613.0;
dated Oct. 17, 2018. cited by applicant .
Office Action for Chinese Patent Application No. 201910114241.1;
dated Dec. 2, 2021. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Hilgendorf; Dale W
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Barnes & Thornburg, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A system for supporting a process of coupling a transportation
vehicle to a trailer, the system comprising: a trailer coupling
assistant to detect a position of a coupling element on the
trailer, wherein the transportation vehicle at least partly
autonomously maneuvers into a target position in which a trailer
coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified
position for coupling to the coupling element on the trailer; and a
parking aid to monitor a rearward monitoring region of the
transportation vehicle during at least partly autonomous maneuvers,
wherein the system operates the parking aid in a standard mode in
response to the trailer coupling assistant being deactivated, and
operates the parking aid in a coupling mode in which obstacle
warnings relating to the rearward monitoring region are output by
the parking aid differently from in the standard mode in response
to the trailer coupling assistant being activated, wherein
operation of the parking aid in the coupling mode includes ignoring
an approach to the coupling element on the trailer such that no
related obstacle warnings are output to reduce irritation to the
user compared with the standard mode.
2. A transportation vehicle having a system for supporting a
process of coupling the transportation vehicle to a trailer, the
system comprising: a trailer coupling assistant to detect a
position of a coupling element on the trailer, wherein the
transportation vehicle at least partly autonomously maneuvers into
a target position in which a trailer coupling of the transportation
vehicle is disposed in a specified position for coupling to the
coupling element on the trailer; and a parking aid to monitor a
rearward monitoring region of the transportation vehicle during at
least partly autonomous maneuvers, wherein the system operates the
parking aid in a standard mode in response to the trailer coupling
assistant being deactivated, and operates the parking aid in a
coupling mode in which obstacle warnings relating to the rearward
monitoring region are output by the parking aid differently from in
the standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant
being activated, wherein operation of the parking aid in the
coupling mode includes ignoring an approach to the coupling element
on the trailer such that no related obstacle warnings are output to
reduce irritation to the user compared with the standard mode.
3. A method for supporting a process of coupling a transportation
vehicle to a trailer, the method comprising: detecting a position
of a coupling element on the trailer by a trailer coupling
assistant, wherein the transportation vehicle is at least partly
autonomously maneuvered into a target position in which a trailer
coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified
position for coupling to the coupling element on the trailer in
response to a position of a coupling element on the trailer being
detected by a trailer coupling assistant; monitoring a rearward
monitoring region of the transportation vehicle during at least
partly autonomous maneuvers by a parking aid; operating the parking
aid in a standard mode in response to the trailer coupling
assistant being deactivated; and operating the parking aid in a
coupling mode in which obstacle warnings relating to the rearward
monitoring region are output by the parking aid differently from in
the standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant
being activated, wherein operation of the parking aid in the
coupling mode includes ignoring an approach to the coupling element
on the trailer such that no related obstacle warnings are output to
reduce irritation to the user compared with the standard mode.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting the
position of the coupling element on the trailer to the parking aid
in the coupling mode in response to an object being disposed in the
rearward monitoring region and within a specified perimeter around
the position of the coupling element on the trailer, wherein the
parking aid eliminates output of an obstacle warning that will
otherwise be output in the standard mode.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the parking aid eliminates output
of an audible obstacle warning that will otherwise be output in the
standard mode in response the object being disposed in the rearward
monitoring region and within the specified perimeter around the
position of the coupling element on the trailer.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the parking aid eliminates
display of a visible obstacle warning which will otherwise be
displayed in the standard mode in response to the object being
disposed in the rearward monitoring region and within the specified
perimeter around the position of the coupling element on the
trailer.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein in the coupling mode the position
of the coupling element on the trailer is transmitted to the
parking aid and a smaller distance value from an object, from which
a highest warning level is reached in the standard mode of the
parking aid, is reduced in relation to the coupling element on the
trailer so much that the highest warning level in the coupling mode
is only reached in response to the transportation vehicle reaching
the target position.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising reducing pauses
between an output audible obstacle warning with reducing distance
from the position of the coupling element on the trailer, wherein
the audible obstacle warning is output as a continuous warning tone
once the transportation vehicle has reached the target
position.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein, with reducing distance from the
position of the coupling element on the trailer, a visible obstacle
warning is first displayed in green, then in yellow and finally in
red once the transportation vehicle has reached the target
position.
10. The method of claim 3, wherein the obstacle warning is output
in the transportation vehicle and, in the case of at least partly
autonomous maneuvers remotely controlled by a remote controller,
the obstacle warning is output by the remote controller.
11. A system for supporting a process of coupling a transportation
vehicle to a trailer, the system comprising: a trailer coupling
system including at least one camera for capturing images to detect
a position of a coupling element on the trailer, wherein the
transportation vehicle at least partly autonomously maneuvers into
a target position in which a trailer coupling of the transportation
vehicle is disposed in a specified position for coupling to the
coupling element on the trailer; and a parking aid system including
at least one sensor for monitoring a rearward monitoring region of
the transportation vehicle during at least partly autonomous
maneuvers, wherein the system operates the parking aid system in a
standard mode in response to the trailer coupling system being
deactivated, and operates the parking aid system in a coupling mode
in which obstacle warnings relating to the rearward monitoring
region are output by the parking aid differently from in the
standard mode in response to the trailer coupling assistant being
activated, wherein operation of the parking aid in the coupling
mode includes ignoring an approach to the coupling element on the
trailer such that no related obstacle warnings are output to reduce
irritation to the user compared with the standard mode.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system transmits the
position of the coupling element on the trailer to the parking aid
system in the coupling mode in response to an object being disposed
in the rearward monitoring region and within a specified perimeter
around the position of the coupling element on the trailer, wherein
the parking aid system eliminates output of an obstacle warning
that will otherwise be output in the standard mode.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the parking aid system
eliminates output of an audible obstacle warning that will
otherwise be output in the standard mode in response the object
being disposed in the rearward monitoring region and within the
specified perimeter around the position of the coupling element on
the trailer.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein the parking aid system
eliminates display of a visible obstacle warning which will
otherwise be displayed in the standard mode in response to the
object being disposed in the rearward monitoring region and within
the specified perimeter around the position of the coupling element
on the trailer.
15. The system of claim 11, wherein in the coupling mode the
position of the coupling element on the trailer is transmitted to
the parking aid and a smaller distance value from an object, from
which a highest warning level is reached in the standard mode of
the parking aid system, is reduced in relation to the coupling
element on the trailer so much that the highest warning level in
the coupling mode is only reached in response to the transportation
vehicle reaching the target position.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system reduces pauses
between an output audible obstacle warning with reduced distance
from the position of the coupling element on the trailer, wherein
the audible obstacle warning is output as a continuous warning tone
once the transportation vehicle has reached the target
position.
17. The system of claim 15, wherein, with reducing distance from
the position of the coupling element on the trailer, a visible
obstacle warning is first displayed in green, then in yellow and
finally in red once the transportation vehicle has reached the
target position.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein the obstacle warning is output
in the transportation vehicle and, in the case of at least partly
autonomous maneuvers remotely controlled by a remote controller,
the obstacle warning is output by the remote controller.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
This patent application claims priority to German Patent
Application No. 10 2018 202 613.0, filed 21 Feb. 2018, the
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
SUMMARY
Illustrative embodiments relate to a method and a system for
supporting a process of coupling a transportation vehicle to a
trailer. Illustrative embodiments also relate to a transportation
vehicle with such a system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features and combinations of features mentioned in the
description and the features and combinations of features mentioned
in the description of the figures and/or shown in the figures alone
can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but
also in other combinations or on their own. Disclosed embodiments
will be described in more detail below in connection with the
figures, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a process of coupling a
transportation vehicle to a trailer;
FIG. 2 shows a representation of a display of the transportation
vehicle by which visible obstacle warnings are output during the
process of coupling to the trailer; and
FIG. 3 shows a further representation of the display of the
transportation vehicle by which, according to a second disclosed
embodiment, visible obstacle warnings are output during the
approach to the trailer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Methods and systems for supporting a process of coupling a
transportation vehicle to a trailer are already known. Thus, for
example, DE 2009 045 284 A1 describes an automated system for
supporting a process of coupling a transportation vehicle to a
trailer. The automated system carries out necessary steering
interventions to maneuver the transportation vehicle to the trailer
automatically, wherein a driver only has the task of carrying out
the longitudinal control of the transportation vehicle, i.e., to
accelerate or to decelerate the transportation vehicle
appropriately. In addition, the distance of the transportation
vehicle from the trailer can be displayed visibly and audibly.
Further methods and systems for supporting a process of coupling a
transportation vehicle to a trailer are also revealed in DE 10 2005
052 238 A1, DE 10 2009 030 452 A1, DE 10 2010 004 920 A1 and DE 10
2004 008 928 A1, for example.
Disclosed embodiments provide a solution by which a user is well
supported during a process of coupling a transportation vehicle to
a trailer.
This is achieved by a method and by a system for supporting a
process of coupling a transportation vehicle to a trailer.
With the disclosed method for supporting a process of coupling a
transportation vehicle to a trailer, a position of a coupling
element on the trailer is detected by a trailer coupling assistant
and based on this the transportation vehicle is maneuvered at least
partly autonomously into a target position in which a trailer
coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified
coupling position relative to the trailer coupling element. For
example, a reversing camera can be used in combination with image
processing to detect the position of the coupling element on the
trailer, for example, as a trailer claw or similar. Based on the
detected position of the coupling element on the trailer and with
knowledge of the relative positioning of the trailer coupling of
the transportation vehicle to the coupling element on the trailer,
the trailer coupling assistant can plan a trajectory that the
transportation vehicle must drive along to reach the mentioned
target position.
During the maneuvering process, a rearward monitoring region of the
transportation vehicle is monitored by a parking aid. The parking
aid can, for example, comprise ultrasonic sensors, radar sensors or
similar to monitor the rearward monitoring region of the
transportation vehicle during the maneuvering process. The trailer
coupling assistant can carry out the maneuvering process partly
autonomously or even fully autonomously. For example, it is
possible that a driver of the transportation vehicle only has to
operate the gas pedal and the brake, wherein the trailer coupling
assistant carries out all the steering processes for reaching the
target position fully automatically. Alternatively, it is however
also possible that the trailer coupling assistant carries out the
entire maneuvering process fully automatically. In this case, the
driver can, for example, be sitting in the transportation vehicle.
Alternatively however, it is also possible that a user can remotely
control the transportation vehicle and thereby the trailer coupling
assistant with the user's smartphone, for example, wherein the
trailer coupling assistant carries out the maneuvering process
fully automatically until reaching the target position, as long as
it is detected that the user has placed the user's finger on a
certain mechanical control button or an only displayed control
button of the smartphone, for example.
The disclosed method is characterized in that the parking aid is
operated in a standard mode when the trailer coupling assistant is
deactivated, whereas when the trailer coupling assistant is
activated the parking aid is operated in a coupling mode, in which
obstacle warnings related to the rearward region are output by the
parking aid differently than in the standard mode. In other words,
it is thus provided to operate the parking aid during the
maneuvering process by the trailer coupling assistant differently
than would be the case as standard during pure reversing or quite
generally when maneuvering when the parking aid is activated.
The disclosed embodiments are based on the knowledge that
contradictory obstacle warnings for a user of the transportation
vehicle can occur in the case of a purely conventional operating
mode of the parking aid when the trailer coupling assistant is
activated at the same time. I.e., if the parking aid were to be
operated in the standard mode both with the trailer coupling
assistant activated and deactivated, it could occur, for example,
that a continuous warning tone is output during reversing
maneuvering of the transportation vehicle towards the trailer on
coming within a certain distance from the trailer, especially from
coupling elements on the trailer. This is usually the highest
warning level for current parking aids and indicates to the driver
that he/she should not continue moving. However, if the detected
obstacle is the coupling element on the trailer, then the driver
must continue despite the continuous warning tone, because the
driver has not yet reached the mentioned target position, in which
the trailer coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in
the specified coupling position relative to the coupling element on
the trailer. Despite the highest warning level the driver would
also have to continue because the mentioned target position is, for
example, still at a distance of 10 to 15 centimeters away from the
sounding of the continuous warning tone.
The disclosed solution addresses exactly this problem. Because of
the fact that when the trailer coupling assistant is activated the
parking aid is operated in the mentioned coupling mode, in which
obstacle warnings relating to the rearward region are output by the
parking aid differently from in the standard mode, conflict-free
obstacle warnings can be output when maneuvering the transportation
vehicle by the trailer coupling assistant. While maneuvering
towards the trailer the parking aid thus outputs different obstacle
warnings than would be the case, for example, during pure
reversing, for example, if the transportation vehicle is
approaching a wall or similar.
This is achieved by communicating to the parking aid whether the
trailer coupling assistant is currently active or not, in
particular, whether the trailer coupling assistant is currently
maneuvering the transportation vehicle towards the target position
at least partly autonomously. A warning strategy of the parking aid
can thus be adapted to the activated trailer coupling assistant, so
that a driver or user of the transportation vehicle is not
irritated by possibly conflicting obstacle warnings from the
parking aid during the process of maneuvering into the target
position. This is because during the process of coupling to the
trailer it is now necessary that the transportation vehicle is at
less than a usual minimum distance from the coupling element on the
trailer from which a highest warning level of the parking aid is
reached in the stationary mode.
A disclosed embodiment provides that the position of the coupling
element on the trailer is communicated to the parking aid in the
coupling mode, wherein if an object is disposed in the rearward
monitoring region and within a specified perimeter around the
position of the coupling element on the trailer, the parking aid
does not carry out the output of an obstacle warning that would
otherwise be output in the standard mode. In other words, a type of
masking out of the coupling element on the trailer is thus
provided. With knowledge of the position of the coupling element on
the trailer, the parking aid can adapt the output of obstacle
warnings. If objects to which the parking aid would usually respond
with obstacle warnings are detected near the coupling element on
the trailer, with the disclosed embodiment, the warning strategy of
the parking aid in the coupling mode is adapted such that no
obstacle warnings related to the object are output. The driver of
the transportation vehicle or the user of the transportation
vehicle is thus not irritated by the parking aid during the process
of maneuvering towards the target position by the trailer coupling
assistant, because the parking aid ignores the approach to the
coupling element on the trailer to the extent that no related
obstacle warnings are output.
A further disclosed embodiment provides that if an object is
disposed in the rearward monitoring region and within the specified
perimeter around the position of the coupling element on the
trailer, the parking aid does not output an audible obstacle
warning, in particular, a continuous warning tone, which would
otherwise be output in the standard mode. Alternatively or
additionally, it is provided that if an object is disposed in the
rearward monitoring region and within the specified perimeter
around the position of the coupling element on the trailer, the
parking aid does not carry out the display of a visible obstacle
warning, in particular, in yellow and/or red signal colors, which
would otherwise be displayed in the standard mode. If, for example,
the transportation vehicle is at less than a distance of 30
centimeters from the coupling element on the trailer with a rear
bumper, it could be provided in the standard mode of the parking
aid that the parking aid outputs both a continuous tone and, for
example, displays suitably red warning bars in a display in the
transportation vehicle. In the coupling mode of the parking aid,
i.e., when the trailer coupling assistant is activated, by contrast
such obstacle warnings relating to being at less than a certain
distance from the coupling element on the trailer are not carried
out. A driver or user of the transportation vehicle is thus not
irritated by audible and/or visible obstacle warnings relating to
being at less than a certain distance from the coupling element on
the trailer during the at least partly autonomous process of
maneuvering the transportation vehicle to the target position.
An alternative disclosed embodiment provides that the position of
the coupling element on the trailer is transmitted to the parking
aid in the coupling mode and a lower distance value from an object,
from which a highest warning level is reached in the standard mode
for the parking aid, is reduced in relation to the coupling element
on the trailer so that the highest warning level in the coupling
mode is only reached if the transportation vehicle has reached the
target position. For example, it can be provided in the standard
mode of the parking aid that the highest warning level is reached
once a certain region of the transportation vehicle is less than a
distance of 30 centimeters from an object outside the
transportation vehicle. With another disclosed embodiment, it is
now provided that the lower distance value, for example, of 30
centimeters, is reduced so much at least in relation to the
coupling element on the trailer that the highest warning level in
the coupling mode is only reached if the transportation vehicle has
reached the target position. Thus, for example, it can be provided
that pauses between an output audible obstacle warning are reduced
with reducing distance from the position of the coupling element on
the trailer, wherein the audible obstacle warning is output as a
continuous warning tone once the transportation vehicle has reached
the target position. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be
provided that with reducing distance from the position of the
coupling element on the trailer a visible obstacle warning is first
displayed in green, then in yellow and finally in red once the
transportation vehicle has reached the target position. In other
words, a threshold for the highest audible warning level and for
the highest visible warning level may thus be shifted to the target
position of the transportation vehicle, in which the trailer
coupling of the transportation vehicle is disposed in the specified
position for coupling to the coupling element on the trailer.
During the approach to the target position, the audible and/or
visible nature of the obstacle warnings changes. This enables a
user or driver of the transportation vehicle to not be irritated by
conflicting obstacle warnings during the at least partly autonomous
process of maneuvering the transportation vehicle into the target
position in which the trailer coupling of the transportation
vehicle is disposed in the specified position for coupling to the
coupling element on the trailer.
In a further disclosed embodiment, it is provided that the obstacle
warning is output in the transportation vehicle and in the case of
a maneuvering process that is remotely controlled by a remote
controller the obstacle warning is output by the remote controller.
For example, it is possible that a user of the transportation
vehicle can control the coupling process remotely by the user's
smartphone. In that case the obstacle warnings described above may
also be output by the smartphone, wherein also in this case when
the trailer coupling assistant is activated the parking aid is
operated in the mentioned coupling mode, in which obstacle warnings
relating to the rearward region are output by the parking aid
differently from in the standard mode. Thus in the case of remote
control of the transportation vehicle by the smartphone, the
audible and/or visible obstacle warnings are output by the parking
aid during the process of maneuvering into the target position
differently than if, for example, a remote parking process is being
carried out by the smartphone. If a driver or user of the
transportation vehicle is standing outside the transportation
vehicle while the transportation vehicle is being maneuvered
towards the trailer, then the user is also not irritated by
conflicting obstacle warnings output by the smartphone owing to an
adjusted warning strategy on the part of the parking aid.
The disclosed system for supporting a process of coupling a
transportation vehicle to a trailer comprises a trailer coupling
assistant that is designed to detect a position of a coupling
element on the trailer and based on this to maneuver the
transportation vehicle at least partly autonomously into a target
position in which a trailer coupling of the transportation vehicle
is disposed in a specified position for coupling to the coupling
element on the trailer, wherein the system comprises a parking aid
that is designed to monitor a rearward monitoring region of the
transportation vehicle during the maneuvering process. The system
is in this case designed to operate the parking aid in a standard
mode when the trailer coupling assistant is deactivated and when
the trailer coupling assistant is activated to operate the parking
aid in a coupling mode in which obstacle warnings relating to the
rearward region are output by the parking aid differently from in
the standard mode. Beneficial embodiments of the disclosed method
are considered to be beneficial embodiments of the system and
vice-versa, wherein the system comprises methods or mechanisms for
carrying out the disclosed method.
The disclosed transportation vehicle comprises the disclosed system
for supporting a process of coupling a transportation vehicle to a
trailer.
In the figures identical or functionally identical elements have
been provided with the same reference characters.
A transportation vehicle 1 comprising a system 2 for supporting a
process of coupling the transportation vehicle 1 to a trailer 3 is
shown in a schematic representation in FIG. 1. The system 2
comprises a trailer coupling assistant 4 that is designed to detect
a position of a coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 and based on
this to maneuver the transportation vehicle 1 at least partly
autonomously into a target position in which a trailer coupling 6
on the transportation vehicle is disposed in a specified position
for coupling to the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3. The
trailer coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1 can, for
example, be a ball coupling and the coupling element 5 on the
trailer 3 can, for example, be a trailer claw. Other disclosed
embodiments of the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 and the
trailer coupling 6 on the transportation vehicle 1 are also
possible.
The system 2 also comprises a parking aid 7 that is designed to
monitor a rearward monitoring region B that is not shown here of
the transportation vehicle 1 during the maneuvering process. The
system 2 is in this case designed to operate the parking aid 7 in a
standard mode when the trailer coupling assistant 4 is deactivated
and when the trailer coupling assistant 4 is activated to operate
the parking aid 7 in a coupling mode in which obstacle warnings
relating to the rearward region B are output by the parking aid 7
differently from in the standard mode.
The trailer coupling assistant 4 can, for example, be coupled to a
reversing camera that is not shown here, wherein, for example, the
trailer coupling assistant 4 itself can carry out image processing
to detect the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3. Based on the
detected coupling element 5 on the trailer 3, the trailer coupling
assistant 4 can, for example, determine the position of the
coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 and based on this can maneuver
the transportation vehicle 1 partly autonomously or fully
autonomously into the mentioned target position, in which the
trailer coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1 is disposed in a
specified position for coupling to the coupling element 5 on the
trailer 3.
In the target position, for example, it can be provided that the
trailer coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1 must be disposed
in a certain position below the coupling element 5 on the trailer
3. If the target position is reached, then the trailer 3 can be
coupled to the transportation vehicle 1 quite easily, for example,
by lowering a tow bar of the trailer 3 that is not referred to in
detail here together with the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3
until the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 encloses the trailer
coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1.
The parking aid 7 can, for example, comprise a plurality of sensors
that are not shown here that are distributed around the
transportation vehicle 1, for example, as ultrasonic sensors, radar
sensors and/or similar, by which very different objects near the
transportation vehicle 1 can be detected. In order not to irritate
a driver or user of the transportation vehicle 1 during the process
of maneuvering into the mentioned target position, it is provided
to operate the parking aid differently when the trailer coupling
assistant is deactivated from when the trailer coupling assistant
is activated. In the latter case, the parking aid 7 is operated in
the mentioned coupling mode, in which obstacle warnings relating to
the rearward region B are output by the parking aid 7 differently
from in the standard mode.
In this case, the trailer coupling assistant 4 is not limited to
only carrying out the mentioned process of maneuvering into the
target position with the driver seated in the transportation
vehicle 1. Alternatively or additionally, it can also be provided
that a user or driver of the transportation vehicle 1 can activate
the trailer coupling assistant 4 with the user's smartphone 8, so
that the trailer coupling assistant 4 carries out the maneuvering
process fully automatically, so that the transportation vehicle 1
approaches the mentioned target position fully autonomously, in
which the trailer coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1 is
disposed in the specified position for coupling to the coupling
element 5 on the trailer 3. When controlling by the smartphone 8 it
can be provided that warning indications or obstacle warnings are
transmitted from the parking aid 7 to the smartphone 8 and are
output visibly and audibly by the smartphone 8. Also in this case
it is provided that the parking aid 7 is operated differently when
the trailer coupling assistant 4 is deactivated from when the
trailer coupling assistant 4 is activated, i.e., in the latter case
in the mentioned coupling mode.
FIG. 2 shows a display 9 of the transportation vehicle 1 by which
an image 10 of the transportation vehicle 1 is displayed. The
display 9 can, for example, be disposed in the region of a central
console of the transportation vehicle 1. During the process of
maneuvering or repositioning towards the trailer 3 the display 9,
actuated by the parking aid 7, displays different visible warning
indications as respective warning bars 11. During normal
maneuvering with the transportation vehicle 1, it can be provided
in a known way that the warning bars 11 can be displayed in
different colors, from green through yellow to red, depending on
how large the respective distances between objects in the
surroundings of the transportation vehicle 1 and the transportation
vehicle 1 are.
In the case of the embodiment that is shown here, it is provided
that the position of the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 is
transmitted to the parking aid 7 in the coupling mode, wherein if
an object is disposed in the rearward monitoring region B and
within a specified perimeter around the position of the coupling
element 5 on the trailer 3, the parking aid 7 does not output an
obstacle warning that would otherwise be output in the standard
mode.
For example, it could be provided in the standard mode that the
parking aid 7 would display the warning bars 11 in the rear region
of the image 10 of the transportation vehicle in red, for example,
during reversing and when within a certain distance of a certain
object. If the trailer coupling assistant 4 is active however, it
is provided that the parking aid 7 effectively ignores the coupling
element 5 on the trailer 3 entering the monitoring region B. If,
for example, a bumper of the transportation vehicle 1 is within a
distance of 30 centimeters from the coupling element 5 on the
trailer 3, the parking aid 7, which is being operated in the
coupling mode, still does not output either a visible or an audible
warning. Thus, if an object is disposed in the rearward monitoring
region B and within the specified perimeter around the position of
the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3, the parking aid 7 does not
carry out the output of both an audible obstacle warning and a
visible obstacle warning, which would otherwise be output in the
standard mode. Thus it neither sounds a continuous warning tone nor
displays warning bars 11 in the rear region of the image of the
transportation vehicle 1 by the display 9. A certain region around
the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 is thus masked or ignored
by the parking aid 7 as long as the trailer coupling assistant 4 is
active, in particular, if the parking aid is maneuvering the
transportation vehicle 1 into the mentioned target position partly
automatically or fully automatically.
In FIG. 3 the display 9 of the transportation vehicle 1 is shown
again, wherein it is provided in the case that is shown here that
in the coupling mode of the parking aid 7 the position of the
coupling element 5 on the trailer 3 is transmitted to the parking
aid 7 and a lower distance value from an object, from which a
highest warning level is reached with the parking aid 7 in the
standard mode, is reduced in relation to the coupling element 5 on
the trailer 3 so much that the highest warning level in the
coupling mode is only reached if the transportation vehicle 1 has
reached the target position.
In this case, it can be provided that pauses between an output
audible obstacle warning are reduced with reducing distance from
the position of the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3, wherein
the audible obstacle warning is output as a continuous warning tone
once the transportation vehicle has reached the target position. In
contrast thereto, in the standard mode the parking aid 7 would
already output the continuous warning tone, for example, if the
distance between a rear bumper of the transportation vehicle 1 and
an object disposed in the rearward monitoring region B had become
less than 30 centimeters, for example.
In addition, it can also be provided that with reducing distance
from the position of the coupling element 5 on the trailer 3, a
visible obstacle warning, for example, as the warning bar 11, is
displayed in the rear region of the image 10 of the transportation
vehicle 1 by the display 9, first in green, then in yellow and
finally in red, once the transportation vehicle 1 has reached the
target position. With the exemplary embodiment described in
connection with FIG. 3, in other words it is thus provided to shift
a threshold of the highest audible and visible warning level to the
target position of the transportation vehicle 1, in which the
trailer coupling 6 of the transportation vehicle 1 is disposed in
the specified position for coupling to the coupling element 5 on
the trailer 3. On reaching the target position, a continuous tone
sounds, because only then is the highest warning level reached. The
same also applies to the visual representation. Thus the warning
bars 11 in the rear region of the image 10 of the transportation
vehicle 1 are displayed in red by the display 9 if the
transportation vehicle 1 has been maneuvered into the target
position, in which the trailer coupling 6 of the transportation
vehicle 1 is disposed in the specified position for coupling to the
coupling element 5 on the trailer 3.
By use of both procedures described in connection with FIGS. 2 and
3, it can be ensured that a user or driver of the transportation
vehicle 1 is not irritated by conflicting warning indications by
the parking aid 7 during an at least partly autonomous process of
coupling to the trailer 3.
REFERENCE CHARACTER LIST
1 transportation vehicle 2 system 3 trailer 4 trailer coupling
assistant coupling element on the trailer 6 trailer coupling of the
transportation vehicle 7 parking aid 8 smartphone 9 display of the
transportation vehicle image of the transportation vehicle 11
warning bars B rearward monitoring region
* * * * *